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Spontaneous Combustion	By : astartelydianna Category: Harry Potter > Het - Male/Female > Draco/Hermione Views: 16780 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 2
Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter, I don't own the characters or anything else recognisable and make no money from writing this

Chapter List
- 5
- 6
- 7
Author's Notes: Well...I'm not really sure if any of you guys are really enjoying this or not because whilst I'm not a review whore by any means this is the lowest reviewed story I've ever done. I'm hoping once the juicy bits begin that it'll pick up a bit. Not all reviews have to be good either; as long as it's constructive I'm happy to accept criticism but I love hearing when people enjoy what I write, even just a few people because it helps push you to keep writing when you get to those writers block moments.

Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter, the books, films, characters or any other recognisable parts of the fandom nor do I make any money from this. My writings are purely for my own and hopefully your enjoyment so please feel free to review as well

Spontaneous Combustion

Chapter Five: Cracked

Hermione did her rounds alone that week; it seemed that Draco's concern for her safety alone in the dungeons had vanished. She hadn't bothered to report his no show to the Headmistress last time since he could very well spill all about the book she'd been reading and she was far too embarrassed to have anyone know about that. Only Draco Malfoy would have the guts to broach such a subject in front of Minerva McGonagall just to torment her. This was the second time he had not showed up though and she wondered if he would continue to avoid her for the rest of the school year...surely he couldn't avoid staff meetings as well?

She suddenly felt an odd tingle in her spine and quickly spun around in time to receive a stinging hex to the legs. She only caught the first blow before she was able to block the rest.

"Dirty filthy mudblood!" the girl screamed at her, flinging more hexes and curses her way but she was getting angrier and sloppier now and Hermione found them easy to brush off. Then she felt someone hit her from behind and realised another two students had joined in the attack.

Fortunately Hermione was pretty fast and was able to block the worst of the attack from both directions but some still slipped through and she couldn't keep it up forever without retaliating. She wasn't sure which spells were acceptable self defence against a student now that she was a member of staff so was hesitant to cast any. With a quick silent 'expelliamus' she was able to disarm one of the male students.

"I told you this would happen." A voice appeared from behind the two male students. A moment later Draco stood holding the other two attackers wands in his hand. "All three of you can report to Professor Slughorn's office immediately and I will be keeping hold of your wands in the meantime."

They looked like they were about to protest but didn't and instead followed his direction, the blonde girl shoving past Hermione as she went.

"I could have done that you know." Hermione told Draco once the students were gone. "I am perfectly capable."

"Yes, you could have disarmed them all eventually but not without getting hurt in the process." He corrected, taking the students wand from her. "The slytherin students know a few more dark spells than the other students here; they were after all going to be the next generation of Dark Lord followers. You're bleeding." Hermione glanced down at her arm to discover she was in fact bleeding, bleeding that horrid word. Then with a slight sick feeling she glanced down to realise that her other scar on her stomach had opened too and the blood was seeping through her clothes.

"Oh god." She breathed. "Quick get some dittany from the store cupboard!" Draco didn't move. "Draco please! I can't heal myself until I can do something about the bleeding!"

Finally snapping back into reality Draco quickly headed down the hall to the store cupboard and returned just as quickly holding out a vial as Hermione sunk to the floor.

"I feel sick..." she murmured. "I forgot how bad this was."

"The old blood curse." He nodded, as she shakily removed her outer robe. He only hesitated a moment before taking over and lifting her jumper up enough to see the oozing wound. He poured the entire thing onto that wound, it being the worse of the two. Seeing the wound starting to close under the blood he cast a cleansing charm to rid her skin of the blood before adding a healing charm to finish closing the scar to its previous state. He didn't miss Hermione's look of surprise.

"Why is a former deatheater so good at healing charms?" she joked.

"My mother." He answered, not going into any further detail.

"Can you do this one too?" she asked holding out her arm. He eyed the smeared blood on her sleeve forming the letters carved into her arm and abruptly stood.

"You should go to the infirmary, I have to explain to Professor Slughorn what happened." He said, leaving her on the floor. He seemed to pause a few paces away. "I can't leave you here, you're a sitting duck for the other students until you move."

"I think I could still hold my own." Hermione grinned, realising that despite being an arse and wanting not to; Draco Malfoy actually cared! He would still probably find the stinging hexes and such entertaining but he didn't actually want her to be seriously hurt. "Do we still have any blood replenishing potion in the stores?"

"No, we took it all upstairs already." He replied. Hermione nodded and used the wall for support to get to her feet. "Oh for Merlin's sake Granger! You're a stupid, stubborn little woman!" With that he moved to her side and flung her arm over his shoulders none too gently before helping her to the infirmary.

"Why've you been avoiding me?" she asked as they went.

"You ask that as if it's something new." He snorted.

"I meant more than normal, you've not been showing up for rounds." She counted.

"Yes, well now we know for certain that we can't let you patrol the dungeons alone again so that won't be happening anymore." He replied. "What's the matter Granger, been missing me?"

"No, not really." She shrugged. "Just wondering if it was anything I did wrong in particular."

"Do you always talk this much when you're about to pass out?" he huffed as her weight suddenly started leaning on him even more. He groaned and stopped to lift her into his arms. "For someone I can't stand to be around you have certainly got a way for throwing yourself at me."

"Don't go thinking I'm going weak at the knees over you just because of a little blood loss." She muttered. "What cologne do you use, it smells good."

"A little blood loss?!" he protested as they finally reached the infirmary. "Madam Pomfrey!"

"Oh goodness me! What on earth happened to Hermione?" the mediwitch tittered as Draco placed her on the nearest bed.

"Student attack in the dungeons, I'll just be going now to sort out said students." He replied. "I don't think it's serious, she's just lost quite a bit of blood."

"I could have handled it!" Hermione called after him as he left the infirmary. He didn't bother to reply.

"Miss Granger will you please remain still long enough to drink this?" the mediwitch chided her. Hermione conceded and drank the potion before allowing her arm to be treated. She noticed that the scar on her arm was now more pronounced than it had been before whereas the scar on her midsection was barely visible...how had Draco managed to heal her wound better than Madam Pomfrey had?

She heard voices calling her the minute she stepped out of the fireplace at the burrow and dusted herself off. Sure enough Weasleys started to appear in the room from all directions.

"Hermione!" Harry's voice called. "It feels like it's been forever!" He hugged her tightly before George Weasley swept her up into his arms and span her around.

"Don't hog her George!" Ron's voice protested as he pried Hermione into his arms only for Ginny to drag her away from him straight afterwards.

"You lot! Let her get in the room!" Molly Weasley's fussed, tugging Hermione away from the crowd. "Come sit down dear you can tell us all what you've been up to back at Hogwarts, I've been so worried ever since those students got expelled for attacking you."

"Actually it was only one student that got expelled, just the boy that used the old blood curse. The others only used mild hexes really so they just got detentions. I'm fine though really." Hermione told her, following the motherly witch into the kitchen.

"What were they thinking attacking you?!" Ron asked, taking a seat opposite her at the table.

"They weren't thinking Ron." She replied. "A lot of those students have lost parents to Azkaban or worse and they're all a little angry and lost right now...I think they're just lashing out at anyone they think is to blame." Both Ron and Ginny looked at her like she had grown a second head.

"Hermione has a point." Harry spoke up. "Honestly I don't think many of them had a choice in their actions when that's the way they were raised, not only that but...most of their families were tortured by Voldemort if they failed him. So they pretty much had no choice but to follow him when they were putting members of their family at risk if they didn't."

"Maybe that's what Draco meant when he said that not everyone had a choice what side they were on..." Hermione mused.

"Draco? As in Malfoy?!" Ron exclaimed. "You can't seriously tell me you're all chummy with that great prat!"

"No, actually Ronald I'm not chummy with him at all." She replied calmly. "But we are going to be colleague so a certain amount of civility is required. He was also the one who healed the worst of my wounds and took me to the infirmary when those students ambushed me so it's not like he's actually evil."

"He probably set up the attack in the first place." Ron pouted.

"Draco had to submit his memories for his trial just like all the other deatheaters and he was one of the only ones let off scot free so I doubt he can be as bad as we think." Harry said thoughtfully. "He's just a bit of a git is all."

"Exactly." Hermione nodded. "He's not actually a horrid person he's just a bit of a git to us."

"That's not really a very nice way to talk about a poor young lad that lost his mother." Molly tutted, placing a tray of cakes on the table in front of them.

Hermione didn't return to the castle until two days after Christmas, and what wonderful Christmas it had been. The Weasley's, Harry, Remus and Teddy and her made for a full house and plenty of laughter. When she returned to Hogwarts she was grateful that the enchanted mistletoe had vanished for another year and only a few festive decorations remained.

She spent most of her first day back at Hogwarts alone enjoying a bit of quiet time to read, she didn't dare seek out the book from the library again though.

Remus came back the following day, looking a little worse for wear after the full moon the night prior and Hermione went to join him in his rooms for tea, chocolate and company.

"You know I can't really picture spending the rest of my life anywhere but here..." Hermione mused.

"Planning a long teaching career then?" he chuckled. "I have to admit it holds a lot of good memories for me too, happy and sad...but it'll always be special to me."

"I don't think Minerva will be letting you go anywhere anytime soon you know." Hermione grinned. "I think you're in for a long teaching sentence too."

"I'm very grateful to her, for hiring me after what happened last time. This time I came back with everyone fully aware of who and what I was and it's definitely refreshing." He smiled. "I always feared having a child to depend on me because my career was never stable, my life wasn't stable...but now I'm so grateful to be able to have that."

It was late when Hermione left Remus' rooms and headed back to her own, they had talked for ages and she had to admit it was good to have had such intelligent conversation. She loved Harry and Ron but they really couldn't hold much of an interesting conversation...

"That was a quick rebound Granger." The snide comment came only moments after leaving Remus' rooms.

"What are you doing here?" she sighed.

"Me, I just left the bathroom on my way back from my rounds with Slughorn...you, you just left your ex-Professor's private rooms, I think you're the one with more to explain." He replied.

"I have nothing to explain, I went to visit Remus in his rooms for a chat and we spent the evening doing just that...oh wait I forgot about the hot sweaty sex..." she fake gasped. "For someone who claims to hate the sight of me you seem to stick your nose in my business a lot."

"What exactly are you implying Granger?!" he seethed, stalking up to her.

"i..."

"Shut up!" he snapped. "Can't you just leave Hogwarts and go find some other people to annoy?"

"Why can't you? If you're so bothered by the sight of me then why don't you leave?!" she countered. She was surprised to find herself shoved firmly against the wall a moment later, his hands biting into her arms as he shook in anger.

"Because I have no where else to go!" he growled, shoving himself off of her and storming off.

Hermione let herself slide to the floor in shock for a moment. Draco Malfoy was beginning to crack...so he was human after all.
- 5
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Spontaneous Combustion